Oral Medicine: a retrospective analysis of patient profiles, diagnoses, and referral patterns in Mexico City.

Abstract

Background: Oral Medicine (OM) is a dental specialty dedicated to diagnosing and non-surgical managing of oral diseases, often in medically compromised patients. In Mexico, no prior studies have examined the scope of the clinical practice of this specialty; thus, this study aims to examine the characteristics of patients treated at three different reference centers of OM in Mexico City, focusing on their diagnoses, sources of referral, and treatments.

Material and methods: This retrospective, observational and descriptive study reviewed 1,270 clinical records from three specialized OM centers between 2015 and 2022: a university clinic, an intrahospital service and a private OM practice. Demographic, clinical and therapeutic data were collected and analyzed using JMP Pro 16, with a significance level of p <0.05.

Results: Most patients were women (71.6%), primarily in their sixth and seventh decades of life. Comorbidities were present in 74.7% of cases, and 63.2% of patients were on medications. In public institutions, the most frequent reason for consultation were tumors, while in the private clinic, it was burning mouth. Dentists were the main referrers (49%), yet only 24.2% of referrals included a diagnosis, of which 60% were accurate. The most prevalent oral conditions were non-odontogenic infections (26.4%), ulcerative and vesiculobullous lesions (15.2%), and oral potentially malignant disorders (14.8%). Pharmacologic treatment was provided to 71% of patients, while management of 29.9% included consultation with other specialists.

Conclusions: This study highlights significant differences in patient profiles, diagnosis, and referral accuracy between the public and private services of OM. The low diagnostic precision in medical and dental referrals underscores the need to strengthen OM education. Additionally, the wide spectrum of oral and maxillofacial disorders and their treatments emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary management and integration with other medical specialties. These findings support the need to evaluate educational programs, optimize referral pathways, and improve the quality of OM care in Mexico.